Vegan Cooking Tips with Ann Gentry

Ann Gentry is a chef, restaurateur, food educator and visionary. She opened Real Food Daily in Los Angeles 1993, a totally vegan and organic restaurant that has since spawned another in West Hollywood. Please visit Real Food Daily to find out more about this truly unique restaurant and to learn more about Ann Gentry.

Question:

What's the best way to make a baked potato come out perfectly? Should I use foil? Do I need to pierce it with a fork? How long should I cook and at what temperature?

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Answer:

First clean the potato by scrubbing with a natural bristle food brush under running water. Then, pierce the potato gently using a fork or a small knife. This allows the heat to penetrate into the depth of the potato while baking. Optional to use oil to moisten the potato skin. If you want to have a better looking baked potato and enjoy eating the skin, then absolutely wrap the potato in foil. If you don't care what it looks like and are in a hurry, then pop it in the oven bare. The skin will overcook in certain places, you'll have to pull the overcooked skin away from the potato.

Bake at 350 to 375 for about an hour to one hour fifteen minutes. Check with a fork by running a fork through the foil and potato to see if soft inside. A note of caution... I love to bake sweet potatoes and yams with or without foil. I find if I don't watch the cooking time carefully, overcooking by ten minutes can make a potato get too soft and watery.

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